Cinders
by Birdie num num
Summary: Cider is a young centaur; will she be able to fight centuries of prejudice and join Hogwarts? Corny summary, but I think it summarizes quite well! Next chappie up! Cider meets Hermione's friends, including the Boy Who Lived (Duh, Harry!)
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I would be rich. And the story would be a whole lot weirder...

Somebody please stop me. I mean it!

To my Anifanfic fans, don't worry! I'll finish my anifanfics! I'm not abandoning them!

I just need to get this Harry Potter streak out of my veins!

So, enjoy the streak while it lasts!

_Introduction_

_Cider quickly walked through the forest, breathing fast. The young, snow white centaur had no idea what she was doing. _

_She had just left the large herd behind. Forever. She could never go back. Not after what they'd found. _

_Her book. _

_A History of Magic. _

_It was a wizard's book. A school book._

_From Hogwarts. _

_No sensible centaur would carry a book of wizards! _

_Unless they were a traitor... _

_Cider now hurried through the bushes, looking around nervously. She had to get there. Hogwarts. If she could reach there she might be...safe... maybe...maybe they would let her stay! _

_Don't be ridiculous! Her mind told her. They'll never let you stay! A beast like you! You belong in the forest! They'll laugh! Don't you realize? Don't you see? That's all you are to them- a creature, an animal, nothing more. Some pretty forest horsie. Not a person. _

_You'll be a joke to them!_

_I have to go! _

_No you don't! _

_Where else can I go?! _

_Go back! Ask, beg, for forgiveness. You do that, they'll forgive you, forget all about it! _

_No they won't! And even if they would, I don't want to! I can't go back! Go back to what? Living in the woods like an animal?! Forget it! I want to know! I want to learn! _

_Know what? What is there for a centaur to know? _

_Everything she doesn't... _

_Cider hurried by tall trees. Stumbled over roots. She heard noises and speeded her walking to a full gallop in terror. She slowed down, panting, near the cabin. _

_She knew whose it was. _

_The cabin of the man Hagrid. _

_She remembered Firenze, the centaur who had been beaten and cast out for just wanting to teach. _

_They had not beaten her. But they had given her a choice. Burn the book and forget it forever, or leave, forever. _

_Forever. _

_That word echoed in Cider's mind. _

_She pushed her long, white hair behind her. _

_I want to know... _

_She stood on the edge of the forest, looking up at the looming castle ahead. The sun shone down on Hogwarts, making it, and it's surrounding fields look inviting. It didn't frighten her at all. _

_She chuckled. It's a school, how frightening can it be? _

_She'd heard so much about it. Seen so much near it. _

_When she was younger, she had snuck over near the edge of the forest and peered from behind trees with her friends, giggling and watching curiously. _

_The students out in the snow at Christmas. The lights in the towers. The strange fireworks that had flown around the year before. The quidditch games. The lights moving across the lake when they brought the new students on little boats in the fall. The students strolling down to Hagrid's cabin to look at magical creatures. _

_That last thought made her stomach cramp. Magical creatures. What a term! _

_She looked down at the cinders on her snow white fur with large, dark, violet eyes. The cinders of the book. They had burned it anyway, and thrown the ashes in her face, some of them still burning. _

_Cider's mother had turned away in shame. Her father had died years ago, fighting the acromantula. _

_"It's good your father cannot see you!" Her uncle had yelled in anger, as Cider had run away. _

_Cider pushed this out of her head, trying to squash the hurt down, though it welled up even more. _

_She wiped tears from her reddened eyes with sooty hands. She slowly moved up to the cabin. _

_She stared at the door for a few moments. _

_Should she knock? Would anyone answer?_

_What would she say?! _

_She heard a loud barking that made her jolt a little. She stepped away from the door. _

_"Quiet now Fang!" A voice boomed. She recognized it as Hagrid's. _

_Albus Dumbledore. She thought. I must speak to Albus Dumbledore. _

_She had seen him at the centaur's camp when he came to collect that awful rude fat woman. He had been so tall. His snow white beard and funny clothes and hat, and half moon spectacles had been so interesting to peer at. Cider had had to stop herself from reaching forward and touching his beard and robes. _

_With the thought of Dumbledore, she smiled, and reached out slowly with a hand, and knocked on the door. _

_"Oh, so it is somebody then! You were right Fang!" She heard heavy footsteps near the door. It opened. _

_A tall man, very built, with a bushy head of hair, and a large, black, bushy beard looked down at her smiling. Then his eyes opened with surprise as they registered what she was. _

_"Ahm...may I help you?" He said gruffly. _

_"I...please...I need to speak to Albus Dumbledore." She said softly. _

_He stared a few moments, then let her inside. _

_She clopped in slowly, and stood by the fire place. He closed the door. _

_"What's wrong? Is it the centaurs? Did somethin' appen?!" _

_"N-no...well...yes..."_

_"Are they 'urt?" _

_"N-no...I...they...they made me leave..." _

_"Why?" _

_"I...I...had a book...a wizard's book...See, I wanted to know-"_

_"Why would they throw you out fer a book?!" _

_"Because I wanted to know about wizards. About other people. Other than centaurs."_

_He gave a look of understanding. "Oh. I see. Like Firenze." _

_She grew excited. He understood! "Yes!" _

_"And you want to speak to Dumbledore?" _

_"Well, yes!" _

_"Well...alright. I s'pose so! Why not then?" He smiled brightly and she did also. _

_"You stay 'ere, and I'll go get 'im!" He opened the door and went out and closed it behind him. _

_She stood nervously, looking around. She nearly jumped when she saw the gigantic dog sitting comfortably on the large bed by the wall. He looked at her through droopy eyes and woofed. She smiled a little at how funny looking it was. He didn't seem mean even if he was...well...large... _

_She stood there, near the warm fireplace, looking down at the cinders on her legs and body. _

_All of the grief welled up in her again. _

_"Mama..." She said softly. A solitary tear streaked down the young centaur's face. She had almost wiped it away when the door flew open. _

_She turned around quickly. The blinding light of day flooding through the door made her squint. _

_There, in the light from the door, stood a tall figure. _

_"Hello." A calm, kind voice said. "Are you alright?" _

_"Albus Dumbledore." She said softly, as he entered the room slowly. "Please, I need to talk to you." _


	2. The New Beginnings

Okay, maybe the last chappie was weird and made no sense, but hopefully, this will make more sense!

If you're sitting there, reading this like, okay, a centaur at Hogwarts...whatever...

Don't worry! All will be revealed in due time...ooooh! boogedy boogedy boogedy!

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger hurried along to her sixth year classes. She was happy with her classes this year. She was heading to Charms, one of her favorite classes that she excelled in (though she excelled in all of her classes!) and was holding several books. She walked in the classroom and quickly found a seat, setting her books down. Just as she was about to sit down, Professor Flitwick called her over. Curious, wondering what in the world it could possibly be, she sighed and walked up to him.

"Ah, Miss Granger! Professor Mc Gonagall wishes to see you!"

"Oh. Well. Alright. Thank you Professor Flitwick! Right now?"

"Yes! Absolutely! At once!"

"Alright."

"You may leave your books here!" The funny little man said, notioning to Hermione's books with his wand.

"Thank you sir." She said, and hurried from the class room.

Minerva Mc Gonagall sat at her desk, looking across at the nervous young centaur, standing there. She smiled at how they had managed to make her a Hogwarts robe that fit the child's whole body.

"It's very nice to have another Gryffindor." The Professor said. "Especially one so...unusual. You musn't be afraid. The students at Hogwarts are very friendly. Most of the time anyway..." She said, thinking of Draco Malfoy. Though she could not help but feel an element of pity for the boy; what an embarrassment to have Lucius Malfoy, a Death Eater, as a father!

She turned her attention back to the fidgeting young centaur girl. "You'll fit right in!" Professor Mc Gonagall said smiling, forcing confidence into the smile. "Ah, Cinder was it?"

Cider laughed. "No. Cider."

"But you want to be called Cinder? Or was it Cindy?"

"No. No. Ah, just Cider." She smiled at the teacher.

"Ah, Cider. Sorry." The professor smiled self mockingly. "I do forget now and then."

"It's quite alright."

They sat, or in Cindy's case, stood, in akward silence.

"You will be the first centaur child at this school." Mac Gonagall said gently.

Cider sighed as she was reminded of that enormous fact. She felt nervous every time she thought of stepping in a classroom.

Minerva could see that she had not helped the girl's anxiety. She cleared her throat and tried to make conversation.

"I understand the Sorting Hat had a problem of where to place you?"

"Y-yes, actually. It...wanted to put me in...oh...what's it called...it starts with an R..."

"Ravenclaw?" Minerva said, surprised.

"Yes! That was it. But it said I'd be most useful in Gryffindor..."

"Useful? What a strange thing for it to say..." Minerva said, wondering. "Well. You should take it as a compliment if the sorting hat thinks you're useful! Though I'd think it would put you in Hufflepuff if you're a hard worker..."

Cider shrugged and Minerva smiled. "Well you'll do fine in Gryffindor, I'm sure of it!"

Just then, Hermione Granger came in.

"Ah! There we are! Miss Granger!" The Professor stood and walked around her desk and over to Hermione, who was staring at Cider as if she was lime green. She seemed to sense rather quickly that she was being rude and smiled at her.

"Miss Granger, I called you here to show our newest student around! Since you're doing so well in your classes, and you are a Prefect, I thought I would have you show her to her classes, and the Gryffindor dorms, where she will be staying! And, I would also like you to help her, as she is just starting out, but we can't put her in first years because she's much too old for that level! So I'd like you to try and help her catch up! I will help you as much as needed!"

"Oh! Well...alright! Come with me, ah, what's her name?"

"Cinder!"

"No." Cider said. Minerva stared a moment, blankly. Then she laughed.

"Oh! Yes, I'm so sorry dear! Cindy?"

"No. Cider."

"Ah, yes. Sorry dear, terribly sorry."

"Oh, it's alright!"

"Well show Cider around, Miss Granger. Oh, and Cider, this is Hermione Granger."

"Oh, hello Hermione." Cider said shyly.

Hermione smiled, a little excited at meeting a centaur. And learning that she would be coming to Hogwarts. Staying at Hogwarts.

She must be the first centaur ever to come to Hogwarts!

"Well, come on Cider! I'll show you around! Do you have your schedule?"

"Y-yes! Here!" Cider handed it to her.

Hermione peered at it, as she slowly walked out of Professor Mac Gonagall's office. Cider followed her out into the wide, open hall as well, and Professor Mac Gonagall gently closed the door behind them.

"Have a good day, Cinder!" The Professor called merrily. "I hope you like your classes here, dear!"

"Oh, it's-" The door shut. "Cider..."

Hermione giggled. Cider blushed.

"Oh, I'm sorry Cider! I'm not laughing at you."

"Oh, it's alright. Trust me. It's fine." Cider said, smiling. She decided she rather liked Hermione, whom she found very nice and polite. Most of the Hogwarts staff had been friendly so far, though many had stared at her as she walked through the halls in her Hogwarts robe.

They neared a classroom.

"Alright." Hermione said, peering at the schedule. "First you'll have this class...Magic History... It's not too bad. A lot of notes, but you don't really have to do anything in it. Next...ooh...you poor thing..."

"What?" Cider said nervously.

"Potions...with Professor Snape..." Hermione winced.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, just...Snape is...grumpy I guess...I don't know..." She muttered as an afterthought. "He's always hated Harry."

Cider stared. "Do you mean Harry Potter, Harry? As in, the Boy Who Lived Harry?"

Hermione laughed. "Yes. That Harry. Though I don't think he'd want you to mention that to him. He's kind of...tired of it I guess..." She looked sad.

"Oh. Alright."

"Then you have..." Hermione kept walking. "Ah!" she smiled. "Hagrid! Care of Magical Creatures. These are a lot of first level classes! You'll have a lot of catching up to do!"

Cider groaned. "Hmm..." Hermione said. "You even have Broom Practice!"

"But I can't fly a broom!" Cider cried, giggling a little at the ridiculous idea of herself on a broom.

"Well, who says you can't?" Hermione said.

"Well, I mean, I'm a centaur! I'd probably fall off!"

"Well, if this is on here, then Dumbledore obviously thinks you can..." Hermione said gently.

Cider was silent a while as she thought over that. The idea that Dumbledore really thought she could do it made it seem possible. She looked up, out one of the windows on the hall.

"I've always wondered what flying would be like." She murmured softly.

Hermione smiled. "Well, now you will! I'll help you with everything! Don't worry. You'll do fine!" Hermione smiled, and to the young centaur's surprise, grabbed her hand, and pulled her along quickly down the hall.

Cider giggled. "Where in the world are we going?"

"To Gryffindor common rooms! We've got to see your room!" Hermione said, laughing too.

They ran down the halls, both grinning, to the Gryffindor common rooms.

Hope you liked that! Now REVIEW! Pleeeeaaaase?


	3. Cider meets Hermione's friends

Okay, I realize I haven't updated my Harry and Luna story and I promise to do so in the near future! How near that may be, I have no idea!

Sigh. It's been a long week. And it's going to be another long week again!

Maybe I'll get some fanfiction done this week, that all depends!

For now, enjoy this next chappie!

**Chapter 3**

Cider pushed her long hair behind her as she looked in the mirror of one of the girls' bathrooms in the Gryffindor dormatories.

It was evening, and the girl Hermione had showed her around. Cider just wasn't sure of it. She wasn't really sure of anything right now.

Hogwarts was beyond anything she had ever known.

She stared up into the gloomy heights of the ceiling. The rooms were large, but they frightened her. It was quite dark in the castle, but not like in the forest. She missed the moon and starlight.

She sighed in dismay at her long, tangled white hair.

"If only I could cut it." She thought aloud.

She had to admit. She wanted to be like...well...the modern people.

Since I'm not living in the forest now, and I'm a 'traitor', I might as well enjoy myself and get a stylish hair cut.

It was a strange idea, as no centaur usually cut her hair. They always wore it long.

"But I'm not a normal centaur. I'm not very 'usual' at all..." She answered herself.

She placed her hands, palms down, on either side of her head at different spots and tried to imagine her hair cut off at different lengths.

But hair is so unpredictable.

Wait...oh that would be so cute! It would be perfect!

She smiled at the idea of an extremely short hair do. It would be shocking to her people, if they could see her.

If only mother could see me now...

Then her heart ached.

Mother will never see me again.

She tried to fight the tears, but suddenly they were spilling out, and she began to wonder whether or not she really was foolish for being here, in a wizards' and witches' castle, wearing a robe, when all of her kind were naked in forests.

The door opened, and she hid her face in her hands, embarrassed to be found crying.

"So anyway," Said Ginny Weasley to another girl in her year. "I asked Mum if I could- Oh!" She stopped when she saw Cider. So did the other girl. "Oh I'm sorry Cinders!"

Cider groaned. "It's Cider."

"Oh. Okay." Ginny and the girl both blushed.

"It's alright." Cider said with a sigh. She sniffed and looked at Ginny. "You're Ginny right?"

"Yes! Ginny Weasley."

"Oh. Well. Hello."

They stood in an akward silence.

"And this is Haley Morris. This is her first year here. I was just showing her around." Ginny said, at the elbow prod of the other girl, who smiled shyly, but very curiously at Cider.

Cider smiled. "It's my first year here too." She said, giggling a little.

"Yes. Well welcome to Hogwarts!" Ginny said, genuinely excited.

Haley smiled at Cider and queiried "So your parents sent you here?"

"Haley!" Ginny whispered fiercely, smiling embarrassedly at her.

"No, it's quite alright." Cider said, though the ache in her chest grew and intensified. "No. My parents didn't send me here. I just...came on my own."

"How?" Haley blurted.

"Well, I um...I just...left home."

"You ran away?" Haley said, eyes wide, before Ginny could stop her, her eyes equally wide.

"Y-yes." Cider said, her eyes beginning to tear up again. "I- I'd rather not talk about it, if you please."

She pushed by them, breathing hard, as she left the bathroom. It was all coming flooding back to her. The hate her people had shown her. Her mother's back. The sneers of the people she had once called friends.

The burning ashes thrown into her face, singing her fur and cloud white hair.

She found herself in Gryffindor common room and stared around her. She plowed deliberately on, without looking, only wanting to just get away from everyone. She couldn't go back to the dormitories; Ginny would come into the room and apologize for her friend, and Cider didn't think she could stand it. Everyone was sorry here! Everyone was always sorry-

and she ran straight into a young man with disheveled dark hair and large, almond shaped green eyes behind round black glasses that looked like they had been through quite a great deal...

She gasped as she found her eyes focusing on a lightning bolt shaped scar on the young man's forehead.

"Harry Potter!"

"Y-yes. That's me." He said, looking a little embarrassed.

Then Cider felt awful about what she had said. He probably hated getting attention for that scar now...

"Oh. I...I'm sorry. I didn't see you! I wasn't watching where I was going and-"

He laughed a little, looking somewhat annoyed. "It's...alright."

"I really am sorry, I mean, about your scar. I mean, I'm not sorry about it being there, I mean, well, I'm sorry you have it too, but I meant that I was sorry about mentioning it, oh, I..." She blinked several times, blushing furiously as tears of embarrassment poured out of her eyes.

"Oh, well it's okay-"

She pushed by him.

He turned and went after her. "Wait! Please, come back!"

Several other Gryffindors stared. Cider stopped, embarrassed. _Oh no!_ Everyone was looking now!_ So humiliating!_

They were whispering and staring at the centaur and Harry Potter.

He gently put his hand on her shoulder, turning her a little.

"Look, I really am sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude."

She smiled and wiped tears from her eyes.

"Please don't cry." She looked into his earnest eyes and could tell he felt guilty.

Something about him made her stop crying. He was just sweet. He seemed to be caring and strong, and yet on the verge of breaking down himself. Blushing, he withdrew his hand from her delicate shoulder.

They stood in embarrassed silence for a few minutes.

She looked up at him. He was smiling at her in a friendly, apologetic manner.

"I know this sounds odd, but you have the whitest fur."

She giggled. He blushed. "I mean, I've never seen it that white before. Well, Firenze is white too, but, well, you just look prettier than he does." Then he blushed. "Oh that came out so wrong!"

They both chuckled.

"It's alright. Thank you for the compliment. You're very nice. Very sweet."

He blushed again.

"Erm. Do you want to come sit with me and my friends?"

She looked over his shoulder to where he gestured; a table where a young girl with bushy hair and a boy with very bright red hair sat. She smiled as she recognized Hermione Granger; the kind prefect who had shown her around earlier. She didn't know who the boy was. But if he was friends with this boy, he couldn't be so bad.

"Well, okay." She smiled, and he led her over to the table.

He cleared his throat to get the attention of his friends. The boy had already been watching them.

"Hey, you're Cider!" The red head boy said.

"Yes." She said, smiling genuinely. Genuinely pleased that someone had finally gotten her name.

"Oh! Hello Cider!" Hermione said. She had been looking at a book, doing work, and had looked up when Harry had cleared his throat.

"Is that your name?" Harry said, smiling. "Cider." He said trying it out.

"Yes." Cider said, and giggled. Ron laughed too and Harry blushed again.

"Hello Hermione." Cider said, smiling. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, it's just an essay for Charms." Hermione said. "_Harry_ is supposed to be working on his too. So is _Ron_." She said, stressing the names for emphasis, and looking very pointedly at the two boys each, squinting her eyes a little and raising an eyebrow.

Harry groaned, and so did Ron. Cider giggled.

"Can you believe the horror we have to go through?" Ron asked Cider.

"Oh hush. We all have to go through it. _She's_ going to have to go through everything you've already been through, as of school work!"

Cider smiled. "Oh please don't remind me!" She said and laughed a little. Hermione smiled.

"Don't worry." She said. "I'll help you through it."

Cider felt a little better when Hermione said that. She was so trusty looking with honest brown eyes. Cider knew she was in good hands.

Once again, Hogwarts felt very cozy and safe, and beloved to Cider, though it had only been her first day.

Erm...obviously I'm not sure about a romance between Harry and Cider, as they are a wee bit...er...different... I don't know. Tell me what you think in a review please! If yes, I'll make this into the most unusual HP fanfic love story ever written, if no, well, I'll just make it a story about a centaur girl who becomes friends with Harry Potter and goes to Hogwarts and tries to figure out what her wizarding career dreams are and tries to realize them. Or I could make it go some really bizarre direction. Whatever...


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